Climate for Learning Policy

Larbert High School is committed to excellence through the provision of the highest quality experiences for all young people within our school community. Learning and teaching is the core purpose of our school and teachers are our most valued resource. This policy has been designed and written by the Learning and Teaching School Improvement Group, after consultation with pupils and teachers on the features of highly effective learning and teaching. The findings of their consultation confirm that the areas which we are developing in school around active, independent, contextualised learning, high order thinking, the importance of knowing what is to be learned, how success is to be measured with formative written and oral feedback concur with pupil and teachers’ views on what makes learning most effective. This policy captures, therefore, how we as a school plan to achieve and sustain excellence, developed through new models of professional development and drawing on current educational thinking. It also frames how we are developing teachers within the context of Falkirk Council’s strategy for raising attainment and achievement, ‘Learning to Achieve’.

Uniform Policy

There are a number of reasons for having a clearly defined uniform policy:

In a large school, for safety reasons, it is essential that all pupils are instantly recognisable as LHS pupils.
We regard school as a ‘place of work’ for our young people school and wearing school uniform creates the right climate and mindset required for learning.
Wearing school uniform instils pride, a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose in class and projects an appropriate image to the local community and visitors to the school.
Items of school uniform are significantly cheaper than branded items of clothing.
School uniform removes the stigma attached to not wearing more expensive branded items and also reduces peer-pressure.

We thank you for your cooperation and support with this policy.

Uniform Policy

Anti-Bullying Policy

At Larbert High School we recognise the right of all pupils to education in an atmosphere of security, in which all pupils feel equally valued. We encourage respect for others regardless of race, class, religion, gender, physique, appearance or ability. We therefore operate a very strong anti-bullying policy.

Positive Relationships Policy

Race Equality Policy

Our Race Equality policy was produced under the guidelines from Falkirk Council Education Services and in accordance with the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 following an extensive consultation with pupils, parents and members of staff. The policy is due to be followed up with an Action Plan which will be available shortly.

Race Equality Policy

Truancy Prevention and Procedure

Anti-Truancy System

Larbert High School has implemented a new anti-truancy system GroupCall (which you may have read about in the press) which automatically alerts parents if their child is missing from school. This technology enables the school to keep children safe and keep parents informed of where they are at all times. At other schools where this system has been introduced, it has proved to be effective at improving the attendance and the safety of the pupils.

The system will automatically send out one of the following:

a text message to a mobile phone number OR
a voicemail to a landline telephone number

Parents should let the school know in advance if their child will be absent by phoning the the school on 01324 554233 and selcting Option 1.

Attendance Policy

Child Protection Policy

PEF Strategy

Partnerships with Denominational Bodies

We have a team of Chaplains who support the school in a variety of different ways:

- Assemblies;

- Work with pupils and staff;

- Church services;

- Prizegiving etc.

The Chaplains, along with some members of staff form the Chaplaincy Group, which meets on a bimonthly basis in the school to plan ahead for Pastoral-based activities throughout the school session. We also enjoy the services of Youth Workers, Oskar Forbes and Gregor McKay , who are employed by the local churches and based in Larbert High School. Oskar and Gregor work with small groups within the school, contribute to PSD lessons run the Scripture Union and visit our cluster primary schools, where they deliver the ‘Bible Alive’ programme and lead assemblies. They are available throughout the week to speak to pupils on a confidential basis. Pupils attend Church services at the end of each term and these are held in one of our local churches, led by members of the Chaplaincy Team.

Any parents who wish to withdraw their child from attendance on the grounds of conscience should provide a note explaining this and arrangements will then be made for supervision.

Our school Chaplains are:

David Randal, Free Church

Andrew Randal, Free Church

Senga Smith, Larbert East Church

David Seel, Found Church

Gregor McKay Youth Worker

Religious Instruction and Observance

Religious Instruction

Schools have a statutory duty to provide Religious Instruction in the timetable. This aims to promote a knowledge of the Christian and other faiths, and encourage children and young people to develop enquiring minds through investigating spiritual, moral and philosophical issues.

Religious Instruction may include visits to local places of worship, and/or visits from representatives of places of worship. This helps children and young people to develop knowledge and understanding of faiths, especially those with which they are less familiar.

Ultimately, pupils in the upper secondary school can gain a qualification through the study of Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies at Higher and Advanced Higher Levels. These courses further develop young people’s skills in logical thinking, methodical enquiry and ways of expressing ideas effectively.

Religious Observance/Time for Reflection

Religious Observance, which may take the form of a Time for Reflection, is held at least six times a year, in addition to traditional celebrations central to the life of the school community. Religious Observance will often (but not necessarily) take the form of an assembly.

Withdrawal from Religious Instruction and Religious Observance/Time for Reflection

Parents who wish to exercise their right to withdraw their child from religious instruction and/or observance are encouraged to discuss initially their intention with the Headteacher to enable them to make a fully informed decision. Parents who wish to proceed thereafter to withdraw their child(ren) should notify the Headteacher in writing. This is so that alternative educational activities can be planned for their child(ren) during times of religious Instruction and/or Observance.

Development of Pupils' Moral, Cultural and Social Values

The school is committed to supporting the development of its pupils as whole people and as a result, wishes to encourage their development in spiritual, moral, social and cultural terms.

These key human aspects of learning are supported through:-

Creating a school ethos which, in every way possible, gives value to these aspects of development, especially by providing an overall atmosphere that is both caring and challenging and which provides opportunities for the development of personal responsibility.
Promoting personal and social learning through the way in which relationship issues are handled.
Ensuring adults in the school are positive models for pupils.
Bringing pupils and staff together as a community to reinforce the values of the school.
Enriching the curriculum to emphasise spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and development.
Providing a programme of religious and moral education to consider the meaning, value and purpose of human life.
Promoting equality and celebrating diversity of heritage and culture of pupils.

Our School in the Community

Larbert High School is proud to play a role in both the local and global community. This is achieved through our involvement in various different projects, initiatives and organisations. See the links below for further information on our friends and partners.

Active Schools

Active Schools aims to provide more and higher quality opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity before school, during lunchtime and after school, and to develop effective pathways between schools and sports clubs in the local community.

Active School co-ordinators work with primary, secondary and additional support needs schools to increase the number and diversity of children and young people participating in Active Schools activities. In Falkirk there are 8 cluster schools that co-ordinators work with to provide clubs, events and coach education training, For further information please contact 01324 590952.

Free School Meals and Clothing Grants

Some families may be eligible to apply to Falkirk Council for free school meals and/or a payment towards the cost of footwear and clothing.

Application Forms for Clothing Grant and Free School Meals including eligibility criteria are available from the school, Falkirk One Stop Shops, Registrars or can be downloaded from the Falkirk Council website. The forms have to be completed by the parent/carer and evidence of income received may have to be provided. Please note that an application has to be made for each school year.

More information or help with completion of the form can be obtained from the Council’s Advice and Information helpline on 01324 590599.

With the exception of certain local arrangements, eligibility for Free School Meals in Scotland is set nationally by the Scottish Government on an annual basis, and is means tested.

Eligibility for Free School Meals

As of January 2015, all Primary 1 - 5 pupils are entitled to a free school meal.

In addition, we can provide free school meals to children who live in the Falkirk Council area, are attending a Falkirk Council school and whose parents or carers get one of the following:

Income Support*
Income Based Job Seekers Allowance*
Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related)*
Child Tax Credit, but not Working Tax Credit, where the award letter from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) states that the annual income is not greater than £16,105
Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, where the award letter from Her Majesty's Revenue Customs (HMRC) states that the annual income is below £6,420
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Universal Credit where the monthly earned income does not exceed £610

* Pupils are eligible to apply for free school meals in their own right if they are aged 16 to 18, and receive one of these benefits.

School Clothing Grant

Falkirk Council can also provide assistance with the cost of school clothing and footwear.

Clothing grants are available for children who live in the Falkirk Council area and who are in compulsory education at any of our primary, special or secondary schools. Pupils attending some special schools outside the area may also be eligible for this grant.

School clothing grants are not available to children attending nursery schools, nursery classes or other pre-5 centres.

The School Clothing Grant is means tested. To be eligible, parents or guardians must meet one of the following criteria:

In receipt of Income Support, or
In receipt of Income-based Job Seekers Allowance, or
In receipt of Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or
In receipt of Child Tax Credit only with a gross annual income below £16,105, or
In receipt of Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit with a gross annual income below £16,105

Payments are paid directly into the parent or guardian’s bank account.

Compliments, Enquiries and Complaints Procedure

Falkirk Council Children’s Services would like you to be completely satisfied with your child's education. We encourage feedback on our services from parents, pupils and members of the public. We are interested in feedback of all kinds, whether it be compliments, enquiries or complaints.

Sometimes, customers may feel that the services provided are not what they wished for and they may wish to complain. If you have a complaint about the service provided by the school, please let us know.

How do I complain?

Complaints can be made to schools in writing, by email, on the telephone, in person or by using the Falkirk Council online complaints form on the website.

Who do I complain to?

Parents must first consult the school regarding their complaint.

What happens with my complaint?

All complaints will now be logged confidentially on our Customer First online complaints handling system. They will be monitored exclusively by each school and Children’s Services staff to ensure any response is within the timescales. This new monitoring system will enable us to learn from complaints to prevent similar issues arising in future. We will deal with your complaint confidentially and as quickly as possible. If we have made a mistake we will apologise and try to put things right.

How long will it take until I get a reply?

Our aim is to respond within 5 working days to front line complaints, although issues can sometimes be complex and the school may need time to investigate them.

What happens next?

If your complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved by the school, it may be eligible for consideration at the second, investigation stage by Children’s Services. Complaints will not be considered by Children’s Services unless they have been first reported to the school – unless there are exceptional circumstances. Our aim is to respond to second stage complaints within 20 working days.

Who else can help?

If you remain dissatisfied after the second, investigation stage, you can raise the matter with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman https://www.spso.org.uk/complain/form/start/

You should also be aware that you have the right to raise concerns with your local Councillor, MSP or MP.

What else do I need to know?

Please note that schools can only respond to complaints about a service that they or Falkirk Council provides or a service we have contracted from a third party.

The Council’s complaints handling procedure sets a time limit for making a complaint of six months from when the customer first knew of the problem

You can find out more about the Council’s Complaint Procedure from the Falkirk Council website - Complaints

Insurance

Insurance Cover for School Children

Personal Injury

Falkirk Council has in force a Public Liability Insurance Policy, which operates in respect of claims for injury to any school child whilst in the custody / control of the local authority or its employees. There requires to be proof supplied by the claimants parent / guardian that Falkirk Council have been negligent in law.

Pupil’s Property

It is an unfortunate fact that each session pupils property may be lost, damaged or stolen. Please note that all items brought onto school premises / on excursions are at your own risk. You should investigate if your own Household policy extends to cover personal belongings whilst outside the home and you are discouraged from allowing pupils to carry expensive personal belongings to school.

Personal Accident – Educational Excursions

The Council has in force a Personal Accident Insurance Policy for school children whilst on an organised trip (both UK and Overseas), under which compensation is payable as follows:

Death £10,000 Under 18 years of age
Death £30,000 18 Years of age and over
Permanent / Partial Disability Up to £30,000

Role of Named Person

All children and young people are entitled to access help or support from the Named Person no matter where they live or how old they are (up to eighteen years). It ensures they have the confidence to know that information, advice or support is there if and when they need it. The Named Person is therefore the identified point of contact.

The role is generally carried out by a Health Visitor for pre-school children or a promoted teacher for children and young people enrolled at school. It is an integral part of existing roles and responsibilities, working within universal services.

The Named Person is also available to other practitioners who may have concerns about the wellbeing of a child or young person which cannot be addressed within their own services. Consent to share information, whether being shared with or by the Named Person, will always be obtained and meaningful discussion will take place with families to ensure the right support is offered. The exception to this would be if child protection concern is identified and there is a risk to the child or young person.

When the Named Person is not available, another member of staff in school will be able to help. During school holidays an officer from Children’s Services Headquarters will provide the required advice and support.

Lunch Arrangements

Parents should be aware that while pupils are encouraged to stay in the school or its grounds at lunchtime, there is no way of ensuring that they do so. In general, pupils are free to leave the school grounds at lunchtime (except S1 until the October break), and some go along to the village to purchase their lunch or simply to walk around. Others go home for lunch.

Parents who do not wish their children to leave the grounds at lunchtime should ensure that they are given clear instructions to remain in school. This information should also be conveyed to the appropriate Pupil Support Teacher. While we cannot ensure that pupils will not leave the grounds, we will try our best to reinforce parents’ wishes

The dining-hall at Larbert High School is called "The Plaza" and is run by Chartwells. There is a good range of snacks and full meals available. We also have Capital Coffee is extremely popular with all year groups. The number of pupils regularly having their lunch in school has trebled since the Hub was opened and the 'swipe card' system is popular and ensures a fast service for pupils.

School helpers are employed to assist with supervision in the dining hall; pupils must obey their instructions. Members of the senior staff, assisted by Senior Leaders, supervise the lunch queues.

Catering Menu

Practical Information

The School Day

Information on how our school day is organised, including timings, click here.

Activities, Groups and Clubs for Pupils

Further information on extra-curricular activities available to pupils can be found here.

Website Privacy Policy

We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of our website visitors; this policy sets out how we will treat your personal information.

We collect certain information or data about you when you use our website.

This includes:

questions, queries or feedback you leave, including your IP address and browser version if you send a message via a form on our website
your IP address from which you access our website, and details of which version of web browser, operating system and device type used
the date and time of your visit
the website address of the website from which you accessed our website
The country from which you viewed our website

This helps us to:

improve our website by monitoring how you use it
respond to any feedback you send us, if you’ve asked us to
Unless you voluntarily submit personal information to us (for example, by sending us an e-mail or completing the contact form), we cannot personally identify you using your data.

Where your data is stored

We store your data on secure servers in Europe
Your data can only be viewed by our staff or our suppliers, Schools-Online.
By submitting your personal data, you agree to this.

Keeping your data secure and disclosing your information

Transmitting information over the Internet is generally not completely secure, and we can’t guarantee the security of your data.
Any data you transmit to us is at your own risk.
We have procedures and security features in place to try and keep your data secure once we receive it.
We won’t share your information with any other organisations for marketing, market research or commercial purposes, and we don’t pass on your details to other websites. We may pass on your personal information if we have a legal obligation to do so, or if we have to enforce or apply our terms of use and other agreements.

We do not use Cookies - personal information is not collected. Data is collected anonymously in aggregate only, which allows us to to collect information on how the website is used, while allowing you to enjoy browsing our website.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to and from other websites. This privacy policy only applies to our website.

Following a link to another website

If you follow a link to another website from this one, you should read the privacy policy on that website to find out what it does with your information.

Policy amendments

We may update this privacy policy from time-to-time by posting a new version on our website. You should check this page occasionally to ensure you are happy with any changes.